This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Optical sights are commonly used with firearms such as rifles and/or handguns to allow a user to more clearly see a target and aim the firearm at the target. Conventional optical sights include a series of lenses and/or other optical components that magnify an image and provide a reticle to allow a user to align a magnified target relative to a barrel of the firearm. Optical sights may include one or more adjustment mechanisms that allow for adjustment of a position of the reticle relative to the barrel of the firearm to properly “zero” the optical sight to the firearm and/or to account for environmental conditions such as wind and elevation.
Optical sights may additionally include a relay assembly that allows a user to easily and reliably adjust a magnification of the optical sight. Such relay assemblies include a main tube supporting one or more optical elements (i.e., lenses) and a so-called “track tube” having one or more tracks or slots that slidably receive a bearing fixed for movement with at least one of the optical elements.
In operation, when a rotational force is applied to an adjustment collar of the optical sight, the force is transmitted to the track tube, thereby causing the track tube to rotate relative to the main tube. Such movement of the track tube relative to the main tube causes the bearing to move within and be guided by the track of the track tube. Movement of the bearings within the track results in axial movement of the bearing and associated optical element(s) in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main tube, as the track is formed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis. As a result, the magnification of the optical sight is either increased or decreased depending on the direction of rotation of the adjustment collar relative to a housing of the optical sight.
The relay assembly is also used to adjust a position of the reticle when zeroing the optical sight or when adjusting a position of the reticle to account for environmental conditions, as the relay assembly typically includes an optical element that has the reticle inscribed thereon. The optical element is carried by the main tube and may be moved along with the main tube relative to the housing of the optical sight by pivoting the main tube about a pivot point. Such movement of the main tube and reticle relative to the housing is accomplished by applying a rotational force to a dial of the adjustment mechanisms which, in turn, causes translation of a post that contacts and causes pivotal movement of the main tube relative to the housing.
While conventional relay assemblies adequately allow for adjustment of a magnification of an optical sight and, further, adequately allow a user to adjust a position of a reticle to account for windage and elevation, such sights are typically difficult to manufacture and often require numerous components to allow the optical sight to have the desired functionality.